NEWARK — When Samuel DeMaio was sworn in as acting police director in May, he was given a simple, yet challenging mission: Stop the summer bloodshed that has become all too frequent in Newark.

But since then, the city has seen an increase in gun violence fueled by a drug turf war, the death of a highly respected police officer and the slaying of a 13-year-old boy outside of a West Ward church. Last weekend, a corrections office was gunned down in the Central Ward and a schoolteacher was killed when she was apparently caught in the crossfire of another shooting.

The city also settled a more than $50,000 misconduct suit against DeMaio, reigniting concerns about black marks in the Internal Affairs record he refuses to make public.

Yet despite those issues, DeMaio — riding a wave of support from residents convinced his hands-on approach and crime strategies will succeed — will likely be approved on a permanent basis when the City Council votes Wednesday, a half-dozen members say.

DeMaio, 44, may have as many as eight of the nine votes, according to the council members, who declined to speak on the record about the vote.

City and civic leaders say DeMaio’s ability to mend the department’s long-damaged relationship with the community and win over those who took issue with him in May has trumped initial concerns about his past.

"I listen to my community when they tell me who they support," said West Ward Councilman Ronald Rice Jr., one of several city leaders who have demanded DeMaio’s personnel file be made public. "I haven’t found a negative corner in my ward, yet, for Sammy."

DeMaio, a former street cop who has been with the department for more than 20 years, has become popular among residents because of his willingness to field complaints and address concerns in person, something considered a weakness of the man he replaced, Garry McCarthy, community leaders said.

"It’s one hundred percent changed," said Pastor Orlando Vick of Greater Providence Baptist Church. "McCarthy met with the clergy only when we called on him and even then it wasn’t a good response. But DeMaio, he’s more of a people person. He wants to know what he can do for the people."

The groundswell of community support comes despite an increase in overall crime and gun violence during DeMaio’s time as acting director. From June 5 to July 24, the number of shootings, robberies and burglaries increased compared with the same period last year, according to police statistics.

Seventeen more people were shot and overall crime increased by 5.7 percent even as DeMaio’s "Safe City" initiative was supposed to lessen violence through increased police presence and curfew enforcement.

Community leaders blame the surge on Mayor Cory Booker and police unions for failing to avert 163 layoffs, the department’s largest force reduction since 1978.

"He’s doing what he can, with what he has, and he’s making the most of it," said Bishop Jethro James of Paradise Baptist Church, another member of the chorus that questioned DeMaio about his history. "You’re sending him out to kill a bear, and saying ‘Oh Sammy, take the slingshot. We’ll keep the rifle at home.’"

DeMaio says the increase in shootings has been driven by a feud between rival drug crews, and that increases in arrests and recovery of guns show the city is turning a corner.

"It’s kind of like turning an aircraft carrier," he said. "It’s not just going to be an immediate transformation. I can only imagine how much worse it would be if we didn’t do everything we did from June 1 until today."

While overall gun violence is up, the city’s summer homicide rate has dropped a year after the city had its bloodiest summer since 1990. There were 12 homicides from June 5 to July 24, according to statistics, compared with 19 during the same period in 2010.

Central Ward Councilman Darrin Sharif said he’s impressed by DeMaio’s knowledge of the community and his ability to increase police visibility after the layoffs, though rumors about his disciplinary history still give him pause.

When DeMaio was first appointed, some council members and clergy called for the release of his internal affairs record, citing concerns he had a reputation for misconduct and a 2007 incident in which a journalist accused him of illegally detaining him. That lawsuit, filed by Brazilian Voice editor Roberto Lima, resulted in a payout of more than $50,000 from the city.

DeMaio maintained state Attorney General’s guidelines prevented him from releasing the files. Thought that turned out to be inaccurate, DeMaio still has not released the files.

DeMaio hopes he’s given the chance to achieve his long-term goals, including the rehiring of nearly half the officers laid off in 2010.